Friends,
Covid-19 met the Ixil people early in 2020 head-on, shutting down businesses in and around San Gaspar Chajul and causing severe food shortages. Covid-19 also brought contributions to The Coffee Trust to a grinding halt, severely impairing our ability to help.
This would have been difficult enough to overcome, but Hurricanes Eta and Iota destroyed roads, bridges, homes, and farms. The tiny village of Chel was completely cut off from access to food, clothing, and other essentials that had been washed away. Electricity to power the cell towers was also shut down, isolating Chel even further.
The support of our community at this most critical time brought food and supplies into Chel by helicopter to meet the desperate needs of the Chajulense people.
Thank you so very much, to all our supporters who stepped up to help out during this challenging time.
The people of Chel are now in the process of assessing the overall damages to the village and the surrounding areas. Once the assessment has been completed, we will work with the community to address the rebuilding that must be done. We have worked in Chel since 2014. We know the people well and we will meet every challenge with them.
We will keep you updated with developments in the Ixil region as we learn more.
Again, thank you to all who have supported our efforts and thank you to the people of Chel who have stayed strong throughout these unprecedented challenges. None of this could have been accomplished without each and every one of you.
Bill Fishbein and The Coffee Trust team